West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen looked crestfallen after the defeat to Arsenal at the London Stadium.
It was a horrible evening from start to finish, and when the London Stadium announcer told the DJ to ‘drop the base’ at half-time it made the Hammers fans even angrier!
Julen Lopetegui is a man under real pressure now, and he’s in desperate need of a result against Leicester City on Tuesday.
The onus is on the players to put in a proper performance though, especially the experienced heads.
Bowen is certainly one of those who fits into that category.
Every word Jarrod Bowen said after Arsenal mauling
The Hammers skipper faced up to the media after the 5-2 loss on Saturday night.
It goes without saying that that’s the bare minimum that was expected of him after the game.
Bowen reeled out all the same old cliches though, and there was no real authenticity to his message in my opinion.
Here is every word the captain said, as quoted by WHUFC.com:
“It was hugely disappointing,” Bowen said. “I think with the way we started the game, the goals that we conceded, and the position we found ourselves in at 4-0 down after 36 minutes, it was never a good thing.
“At 4-2 we thought it could have been a different game, and we felt the energy. It was a lot better from us, but we concede another penalty, and from that point it’s difficult.
“There’s almost nothing to lose at that point, and we just needed that third goal to give us a bit more of a boost in confidence. It wasn’t a good day for us, and we’re disappointed for the game to finish in the way it did, but for us to be 4-0 down at home in the first half is unacceptable.
“The goals were very easy to avoid, and as a team we made too many mistakes, and against a top team like Arsenal, you’re going to get punished.
“I think the second penalty was a bit of a frustrating decision, and it’s one that has gone against us in terms of consistency, but ultimately, we need to deal with those decisions, and there will be times when we get those decisions in our favour throughout the season.”
“There are positives to take from the second half, and we knew when we scored those two goals we had them on the ropes and had a chance,” Bowen confirmed.
“In the second half it was about how much we wanted to go for it, and I think we did. It’s easier to do it when you’re 5-2 down, and we just couldn’t get that third goal. But like always with this Club, the work-rate and desire is always there, and the fans helped us along the way and created a good atmosphere. Unfortunately today we couldn’t give them a result they wanted.
“There are a lot of games coming up in a short space of time, and we need to go to Leicester and win that game now.”
Actions not words please
I’m not sure there are any positives to take if I’m honest, and Bowen’s claim that the ‘work-rate is always there’ was dubious to say the least.
Where is the professional pride from the players? We have received so many hammerings this season – 5-1 away at Liverpool, 4-1 at Tottenham, 3-0 at Nottingham Forest and 3-0 at home to Chelsea, before Saturday’s 5-2 defeat to Arsenal.
I don’t know about you, but I’m getting sick and tired from hearing empty words from the players after we’ve been rolled over.
It seems like it’s happening every other week now.
It’s time for actions – no more hollow words please.
Jarrod Bowen is the captain of West Ham, and he needs to stand up and be counted on the pitch now.
The 27-year-old needs to lift his teammates up as well. The outcome of these next five games will shape our season.
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